Leah Golberstein
Searching.For.Snow. (2020)
handmade paper, animal bones
snowshoes made of animal bones
24 x 33 x 4 in.
NFS
In February 2020 I traveled to Churchill, Manitoba in the Canadian Arctic. Our group of 12 women had come together to observe the Northern Lights and to meet with Arctic First Nation women.
We hiked in the snow-packed Boreal Forest wearing snowshoes made of aluminum, plastic, and canvas.
First Nation women told us that Churchill, the polar bear capital of the world, witnesses climate change every fall during polar bear season. They described the reduced amount of sea ice which means less time for bears to hunt. This results in weight loss in the bear population, fewer cubs being born, and less likelihood that cubs will survive.
Warmer temperatures, melting snow, and less sea ice forecast sure death for many species living in the Arctic. These animal bone snowshoes are installed pointing north, searching for snow.
© Leah Golberstein